The Thoughts and Ravings of The Flannel Avenger

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How Many Times Do You Have To Tell Some People…

Raleigh, N.C. — An urban transportation expert on Friday advised Triangle officials to rethink the push to create a regional transit system, saying it wouldn’t work in Raleigh.

Triangle Transit wants to combine 14 miles of light rail, 17 miles of commuter rail and a beefed-up bus service to handle Wake County’s growing traffic congestion.

“The commuter rail plan and the light rail plan just don’t make sense to me,” said John Pucher, a professor in the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Pucher has more than 40 years of experience in transportation planning. He supports alternative modes of transportation, but he said planners often underestimate cost and overestimate ridership projections.

“It’s just so difficult in this very decentralized, very sprawled metropolitan area,” he said.

Of course, this has been going on for years. It’s the government monstrosity that won’t die. I have been complaining about it in this space since 2005. But hey, at least they haven’t been able to abscond with the money in that time! That’s an accomplishment in a state where they stole the highway fund and instituted toll roads…